Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-01-06
Couldn't Stand Prosperity.

/
imagine why Bart Bradford wanted
to settle among them. 1t was the
dream OF their lives to get away from
Red Top. The place had been going
down from the start. if it ever had
one 1t had no railroads, no COM
merce, no industries, no past and APP
parently no future.
Still the Red Top people were loyal
to their town when they came in con.
tact with strangers. So. when Bart
Bradford and his wife, after spending
several days at the hotel, expressed a
desire to make their home in the COM
munity, the inhabitants, with IRE
/ sistible unanimity, assured them that
Red Top was about to enjoy q boom
and they were lucky in coming along
| just in time to grow up with it.
After making the usual inquiries con-
corning the society, the water, and the
general health OF the town, the Brad
| ord's ecided to remain. Bradford
had several thousand dollars with him
and this money immediately invest
! ed in grocery store and small cot
| tage. The fortunate ci5izens who had
converted their property into cash
stralghtway left Tor parts I'M
known, leaving the new com
ers to wonder at their folly in
abandoning a town with a boom just
| ahead of it. Such eccentric conduct,
/ however was common thing in that
neiehborhood, and the old residents
thought nothing OF it.
Although not an old man, he was
not more than forty, II that, Bart
Bradford generally wore look OF set
] tied melancholy. At times he had the
look OF a hunted animal, but as a rule
he was quiet and good natured, and
/ he soon became very popular. His
] wife was a mere girl, and the country
| folks said as pretty as picture"
| Despite Bradford's peculiar moods, it
! was plain that he loved his wife, and
it was equally apparent that she idol
lied him.
The years rolled by and nothing oc-
CURED to disturb the quiet course OF
events at Red Top. The Bradsords
were not long in finding out that the
/ alleged boom was myth, but they
did not seem to mind it much. The
grocery kept Bradford busy during
| the day and in the meantime the little
cottage had been frightened and en-
/ livened by the presence of two new in
| mates, curly headed boy and black
eyed and rosy-cheeked girl. To the
casual observer it was happy little
family If there was skeleton hid
! den somewhere in a closet nobody
suspected its presence.
When the periodical spell OF hard
! times came along Red Top suffered
severely. Several merchants failed
outright. Bradford found it impossi-
/ BILE to make collections, and saw ruin
staring him in the face. His brave
little wife cheered him up. She made
! all sorts OF suggestions, and just to
/ numor her Bradford adopted one oil
! them He advertised IN q daily pa
per published in the city where he pur.
\ chased his goods, that he desired to
| borrow three thousand dollars on a
years time, the money to be invested,
the advertisement said, in safe bust
ness.
To the poor fellows infinite sur
| prise, few days later, he received a
/ letter from city lawyer asking him
! to call and see him about the desired
loan. Bradford kissed his wife and
babies and took the next stage for the
city. When he returned the next day
he was jubilant. Hehad the money.
: To his wife he said he could not UNDER
stand his luck. The lawyer had ask
! ed him few questions about his bust
ness, and had let him have the money
or his note for a years time at the
legal rate OF interest. Little Mrs.
Bradford did not see anything surpris-
/ ing in the transaction. She believed
that her husbands reputation was
| known in the big city, and it seemed
! to her a matter OF course that people
I should be willing to loan money to
! such man.
Bradford met with another surprise.
! At the end of twelve months hefound
| that he could raise only about half oil
the sum due the city lawyer. When
he went to see him about the matter
| the lawyer simply said:
That's all right. Keep the money
another year and then come and see
/ me-
Bradford returned home in @ state
OF mystification.
Long before the year expired, how
! ever, the Red Top merchant received
a visit from the lawyer. Bradford
! took him into his little office back oil
! his store, and sat down in great agita-
! ton.
mo bad news, hope" he said
"Both bad and good, replied the
lawyer.
let me here the worst" groaned
| Bradford.
81 am not here" said the visitor,
"to press you for money, but have a
story to tell that will interest you"
He locked the door, and drew his
/ chair close to Bradford.
1.-THE first Mrs. Bradford is dead"
said the man of law, in harsh, rasp-
ing voice.
The man before him wrung his hands,
but said nothing.
81 suppose you wondered why let
you have so much money without any
security, and was easy with your"
/ "Well, it was not my money. 1t
/ belonged to the first Mrs. Bradford.
4 Don't interrupt me. You know that
in your trips West you fell in love
with pretty face. You basely desert.
ed your wife, agood plain woman, and
secured an Illinois divorce from her.
Again | must ask you not to intrrnpt
me. You married your present wife,
and concealed yourself here, where
dare say you have never spent hap
/ py hour.
/ "God knows it is truel" exclaimed
| Bradford.
"Your deserted wife," continu-
ed the lawyer, suffered untold
| modification. She was almost heart
broken, but bore up bravely. Short
ly after you left her the death of an
uncle brought her small fortune,
some $4,000 or so. She employed
me to keep an eye on you
/ and report your movements and
4 your circumstances. l visited your
town, bribed the village photographer
to give me photographs of your wife
| and babies, and / sent them TO the
first Mrs. Bradford. | wrote to her
all about you, how you lived, how
you led Cody life, how charitable
you were to the poor, and wrote
that your present wife, q young and
babyish thing, was perfectly devoted
| to You"
Bradford said nothing, but his eyes
sought the floor, and he breathed with